FAQ
Kitten Vetting / Basics
Vetting kittens in rescue is - surprisingly complicated.
Kittens are not fully vetted until about 16 weeks (4 months), so rescue options are adopt them out at 4 months or adopt them out earlier with some of the vetting falling to the adopter.
We don't want to have to keep these kittens in foster longer than absolutely necessary but it is our responsibility to ensure that the kittens in our care are fully vetted.
To be considered "fully vetted", kittens need:
Vaccines 1, 2, and 3 given at 8, 12 and 16 weeks
Rabies given at 16 weeks
A clean fecal
FIV/FELV/HW testing (see note below)
Spay/Neuter
Vet check for overall health (eyes/ears)
If the mother cat is available and has tested negative, Mosh Pit generally does not also test the litter of kittens as it is statistically likely that the kittens will also be negative.
If the mother cat is not available or cannot be tested, Mosh Pit generally tests one of the litter of kittens as if one is negative it is statistically likely that all will be negative.
Spay/Neuter must be done by 4 months as that is the approximate age they can begin to reproduce. This is especially important if kittens are being adopted together in a different sex pairing.
In general, Mosh Pit Rescue adopts out kittens after the 8 week vet appt with vet appts preset for spay/neuter and remaining vaccines.
Neuters are typically done at CSnip. Additional vetting is typically done at VCA Woodland Animal Hospital.
We do firmly insist that our vets are used for all 3 initial kitten appointments and that those appointments are preset at adoption to ensure that all vetting does occur. After initial vetting has been completed, the 1 year appointment may be scheduled at your vet.
Before adoption a kitten please consider that most very small kittens 8-16 weeks tend to do better in pairs or with another playful cat in the home. Additionally, while a kitten's personality may be playful and friendly, there is no guarantee that any kitten will grow up to have any kind of personality. If you are specifically looking for a personality type of cat, please consider an adult cat where the personality is more known.
As policy we discourage kitten adoptions under 16 weeks to families with very small children. This policy is case by case and negotiable - however we need reasonable assurance that kittens will be handled with care and treated lovingly. Many young kids, to no fault of their own, just don't understand how to properly handle a kitten.
We encourage kitten adopters to keep the kitten in a small space initially such as a bedroom or bathroom. They simply don't need a full house to roam. They do need lots of attention and interaction.
Kitten adopters need a cat carrier (hard style preferred), unscented scooping cat litter, a litter box, a litter scoop, kitten toys, Iams Kitten dry food (in the purple bag), wet kitten food, scratching post, a cat bed, a cat nail trimmer and Catego or Revolution to continue flea treatment.